Four unidentified men allegedly abducted a truck driver from outside Vardhman Steel Mill in Focal Point, tied him up, drove away with his truck loaded with nearly 24 tonnes of iron scrap, and later abandoned him near Patiala before fleeing with the vehicle.
Event Context
Prashar said that around 3 am, Devendra stepped out of the vehicle to relieve himself when four unidentified men allegedly overpowered him.
The accused also allegedly robbed the driver of his mobile phone and wallet before escaping.
After being left stranded, Devendra sought help from a passerby and informed both the police and his employer about the incident.
The transporter estimated the value of the stolen iron scrap at around ₹11 lakh, while the truck itself is worth approximately ₹13 lakh, taking the total loss to nearly ₹24 lakh.
Team Analysis
The Focal Point police have registered a case against the unidentified accused on the complaint of transporter Rajesh Prashar, a resident of Indra Nagar, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
After completing the entry formalities at the mill, the driver was reportedly told to wait as unloading operations were delayed due to a technical issue at the facility. The truck remained parked outside the mill premises.
“The accused snatched the truck keys, gagged him, tied his hands and feet, and confined him inside the truck. They then drove towards Patiala. After assaulting him, they abandoned him there and fled with the truck and the iron scrap consignment,” the complainant alleged.
Prashar said the driver told him the suspects were speaking in Punjabi, leading him to believe they could be local residents. He also pointed out that he had not received any toll notifications linked to the vehicle after the incident, raising suspicion that the truck may still be somewhere within Punjab.
The police have launched an investigation and are scanning CCTV footage from routes leading out of Ludhiana.
Investigating officer ASI Mangal Das said an FIR has been registered against four unidentified persons under section 304 (2) of the BNS and efforts are underway to trace both the stolen truck and the accused involved in the crime.
source
According to the complainant, his driver Devendra Kumar had transported a consignment of iron scrap from Ghaziabad to Ludhiana in a truck. The truck reached Ludhiana around 8 am and was scheduled to unload the scrap at Vardhman Steel Mill.
